Avalanche & NHL

Back at work, there's "no time to relax" for Avs

The Avalanche had a quiet practice Friday, with the end of the Olympic break on the horizon. Coach Patrick Roy put his team through a 60-minute workout, much of which emphasized the power-play battle situations in the corners.

Roy did not meet with the media Friday, but the day before he listed his expectations for the near future when play resumes.

"To me, the important thing is that we keep working on details, and we apply those details really well, and no bad habits," Roy said. "That's what you want to make sure of when you play your first game back (Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings). We're preparing for (Wednesday)."

Roy put his players through two down-and-back hard skating sessions at the end of both practices. After a day off Saturday, Roy said he will emphasize more strategic drills and not as much skating.

Goalie Semyon Varlamov, who played for Russia in the Olympics, arrived in Denver early Friday morning but did not practice. It is unclear when he will resume practicing.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere could be called upon to start Wednesday's game against the Kings, but Roy hasn't determined that. He said he wants to chat more with Varlamov about his mental and physical shape before deciding when to put him back in.

Giguere said he has liked the intensity of his teammates in the two days since returning to the ice.

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"Guys were really into it, and that's a good sign," Giguere said. "Guys are working hard and pushing themselves. I think most guys did something to stay in shape, which is good to see."

There was time for relaxation during the Olympic break. Giguere and P.A. Parenteau went to the Bahamas with their families, while Erik Johnson spent some time in Mexico.

"It was nice to have a little down time, but at the same time we're all real anxious to get playing again," Parenteau said. "We have a real good thing going here, and we want to get back to that and try to get better. We're going to have a lot of tough games, so this is no time to relax at all."

Said Giguere: "Everybody is going to be a desperate team, trying to either get into the playoffs or get a better position in the playoffs. We have to match every team's desperation, every night. We want to finish as high in the standings as we can too, so it's important for us not to let up at all. You don't want to take your foot off the gas at this time of year, that's for sure."

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